Ohio State had high hopes of getting an invitation to participate in the College Football Playoff after the Buckeyes overpowered Michigan in the regular-season finale and punished Northwestern in the Big Ten title game.
That did not happen, and while Ohio State may have been upset with the decision at the start, the Rose Bowl is an excellent consolation prize. They will take on Washington in the traditional Big Ten-Pac-12 matchup.
If there was any thought that the Buckeyes would look at the Rose Bowl as some kind of runner-up prize, that thought went out the window when Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer announced he would be retiring after this game.